Charlton Athletic fans seeking answers on takeover talks and transfer funds – with warning that protests could be ramped up
Charlton fans are being urged to demand answers about the club’s immediate future by rallying outside The Valley’s west stand before Saturday’s home match against Walsall.
The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) is asking Addicks supporters to assemble outside main reception by 2.15pm, when they will call on director Richard Murray to come out and address them.
CARD wants a pledge that a significant part of the cash from player sales during the January transfer window will be reinvested in replacements.
Charlton sold winger Ricky Holmes to Sheffield United for £400,000 this week and are expected to conclude a £4million deal for defender Ezri Konsa to move to Everton before the end of the month.
Murray said in a club statement on Monday that no fees would be reinvested because Charlton are in takeover discussions.
He is one of only two Addicks directors following the departure of chief executive Katrien Meire in December. The other is owner Duchatelet, a Belgian businessman, who last attended a game in 2014.
A CARD spokesperson said: “We need to hear from Richard Murray about the club’s immediate future. He said four years ago when Duchatelet took over that he would be responsible for the relationship with the fans and that he would speak on behalf of the board when appropriate. We feel it is only fair that we should give him the opportunity to do so.
“At the weekend manager Karl Robinson promised a takeover update this week, but there was nothing new about that in Murray’s latest comments.
“Holmes has gone and Konsa is likely to follow. We don’t expect Duchatelet to put in extra funds this month, but it can’t be right that the squad is weakened with no guarantee of a takeover. It makes no sense even in terms of getting the best price for the club, because he is making Robinson’s job of securing promotion more and more difficult.
”We want a guarantee that if Konsa goes without a takeover then a significant part of the fee will be made available to Robinson to strengthen the team. We also want a timeline for takeover negotiations with clarity about whether a deal is possible or likely before the end of January. We urge all concerned fans to come and hear what Murray has to say.
“We have not staged any protests this season because we have been aware of takeover moves and did not want to do anything that might have affected a possible promotion push. The club has now damaged that prospect itself, so we are giving notice that the period of truce is over.
“We will not be organising anything inside the stadium on Saturday, but the gloves are coming off. Unless the situation is resolved, this is likely to be the start of an escalating series of lawful protests, both at The Valley and in Belgium. It’s now up to Murray to explain why that shouldn’t be the case.”
Everyone at the South London Press thanks you for your continued support.
Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has encouraged everyone in the country who can afford to do so to buy a newspaper, and told the Downing Street press briefing:
“A FREE COUNTRY NEEDS A FREE PRESS, AND THE NEWSPAPERS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL PRESSURE”
If you can afford to do so, we would be so grateful if you can make a donation which will allow us to continue to bring stories to you, both in print and online. Or please make cheques payable to “MSI Media Limited” and send by post to South London Press, Unit 112, 160 Bromley Road, Catford, London SE6 2NZ
All supporters would like some clarity on what the current club status is just now in particular as the recent buy out issues have had a major effect on the transfer window when our squad is already too small. I am fully behind those who wish to rid the club of the current owner but do not like in ‘in stadium’ type of protest at all, specifically where things are thrown about delaying the matches. I hope that if nothing is said by Murray, that CARD or who ever arranges any protests will keep it outside the stadium and not affect the team and the game progress please. In any event it looks like any ambitions from KR on the squad enhancement has disappeared due to the take over timing. Here’s hoping for a swift and clean resolution.
I think the way forward is to stay calm.
we are all extremely disappointed that Holmes has gone and probably Konsa to follow but the protests of last year did absolutely nothing for the club. It was a horrible place to be. This season the fans have been brilliant! it is more like the Valley we all love. so lets all get behind the manager and the team.
Together we will achieve a much more . Roland is going; so let him go peacefully and lets get on with making this club great again . I think if Robinson witnesses the kind of on pitch protests of last year he will walk and with that goes any chance of progress. Here’s hoping!
The club not the manager or the players are in right mess please Ducelette get out now.
What are they trying to do to our club card are not fans because if they were they would support the team not protest at the games we went down because of their protests the last time and thats the reason we failed last season but if we didnt have so many injurys we would have been top so there so called fans arn’t end off COYRNBAW